Campus News

Welcome to Spring Semester

Campaign Emory keeps dynamism in final year

Marion Dearing, executive assistant in the Office of the President, contributes to MyEmory to support Emory Advantage and the Emory University Hardship Fund.

By Maria Lameiras

Momentum and enthusiasm continue to build around Campaign Emory as more donors find ways to give that support Emory's many worthy programs. By Dec. 31, 2011, alumni, friends, staff and faculty had generated $1.39 billion toward the $1.6 billion campaign goal.

Emory employees are making a tremendous impact with their generosity. Through MyEmory, the employee and retiree component of Campaign Emory, current and former employees have contributed more than $95 million to date.

With just under a year left in the campaign, several schools and units have met their campaign goals and Emory fundraisers, leadership and volunteers have redoubled their efforts to galvanize support for many important initiatives—including scholarships—that still exist both now and beyond the campaign.

"Our stakeholders are rallying to invest in Emory's key priorities—linking those priorities with their own charitable interests—in ways that have created great momentum for the University as we head into the final year of the campaign," says Susan Cruse, senior vice president for development and alumni relations. "Each gift from Emory donors—generous faculty and staff, alumni, parents, patients and friends—truly makes a difference, strengthening the educational experience and driving discovery in every field."

The results of many gifts can already be seen across campus. The following is a sampling of the transformational gifts received in 2011:

• Emory College of Arts and Sciences received a $15.4 million gift from the estate of the late James E. Varner Jr. '43C, the bulk of which—$14.4 million—was designated to the Emory Advantage program.

• A $5 million commitment from The Wilbur and Hilda Glenn Family Foundation to the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University named the Glenn Family Breast Program and established a fund to support patient care, research, education and community outreach.

• Atlantans Sarah and Jim Kennedy and their family foundations have given $5 million to Emory University for innovative research projects to address Alzheimer's disease.

• Jean and Paul Amos of Columbus, Ga., committed $4 million to name the Movement Disorders Research Program within Emory School of Medicine and to launch innovative research and clinical trials, recruit scientists and train fellows.

• Rick Rieder '83B, a member of the Emory Board of Trustees, made a gift of $1 million to help create Graduation Generation-Atlanta, an initiative led by Emory's Office of University-Community Partnerships to address some of the academic and socioeconomic challenges that can affect high school dropout rates.

• Jim Gavin '70PhD, an Emory professor with a distinguished academic career and a member of the Board of Trustees, has made a bequest to support the James T. Laney School of Graduate Studies. His gift honors Emory President Emeritus James Laney, for whom the school is named, and celebrates the leadership of Dean Lisa Tedesco.

In fiscal year 2011, Emory received 57,888 individual gifts, representing a 14 percent increase over fiscal year 2010, the largest increase in Emory's history.

To learn more about how to support Campaign Emory and Emory's ongoing priorities, visit campaign.emory.edu.